Machine for deforming wire in definite lengths



April 19, 1927.

w. F. FREcH MACHINE FOR DEFORMING WIRE IN DEFINITE LENGTHS 3 Sheets-Sheet l /M/E/v me TUR/VE Y.

Filed Nov. 17, 1925 Apnl 19 9 w. F. FREcH MACHINE FOR DEFORMING WIRE IN DEFINITE LENGTHS Filed Nov. 17. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y @www Aln'll 19 1927 w. F. FRECH MACHINE FOR DEFORMI'NG WIRE IN DEFINITE LENGTHS Filed Nov. l7 1923 3 vSl'ieets-Shee't 3 Patented 19, 1927.

- .earner errlcs.

WILLrftnn., savon, on niaoonnvi, new vean. Assiorioa fro centr MANUFACTUR- Ilveroo., nneontrn. new Yoan, A. sonnent/irren er Naw Yoan.

MACHINE IFC-R DEFGRMING 'iR/TRE iN DEFNITE LENGTHS.

Application filed November This invention is a machine for producing deformed wire 1n definite lengths, the

object being?,l to automatically manipulate wire so as to render the same available for i operable in determining theV length to be' use as package binders.

In certain particulars, the machine of this invention is ot the character disclosed in Hoe'ter, Patent No. 729,864, wherein means are provided for feeding wire drawn from a coil through a straightening mechanism and moving such `strai,ghtened vwire'relatively to length-paging means and to cnt ting means, which means are mutually cocut from the continuous wire, producing a multiplicity7 'of straightened pieces ot definite length.

`lilachines ot' the Hoeter type do not operate to deiorm an end portion ot the cut lengths oi wire, nor are such machines Sullicient y stable to withstand the strain ol" the detorming operation. Accordingly, my invention includes a structure by which lthe wire is VdeformedL concurrently "with the .opeatons o? feeding, straightening, gaging and cutting` to length a strand from a coil.

According to my invention, co-operable detorming dies are provided, there being :i stationary deforming die upon al head of a traine column or pedestal and a movable informing die on a rocking arm or lever, and with said deforming dies co-operate's a cutter which is movable with the rocking;l arm or lever. Said cutter, however7 does not occupy a shearing relation to a tubular member through which the wire strand is led. but, on the contrary, this eutter is in a remote relation to said tubular'member, said cutter member being movable with the rocking armor lever in a shearing relation to a stationary shear plate in a spaced relalion to the tubular teed member, so that the stationary detorming die occupies on operative position intermediate the tubular feed member and said stationary shear member.

For supporting the stationarj.v deter-ming die and the stationary shear member, l provide a bracket member which carries theY two said named parts. and in order to mount said member in a stable position' upon 'the i?, 192s. seriai No. 675,255.

pedestal head, there is provided an offset bearing which is unitary with the pedestal head by being cast so"dly therewith, said o-flset bearing ailiording the required solid support for the supporting bracket and presenting below the tubular feed member a shoulder upon which the bearing` bracket is seated and to which offset bearing the supporting membe is rigidly attached.y

The stationary shear member is positioned parallel tothe stationary determina' die.l

there being an al'ipreciable interval between the proximate edges ot' the shear memberr and the deforming die. Said stationary defer-ming die and the'v stationary shearv .iember are close to the path oi :l'e'ed ot the wire strand, below the same, there being only a sutlicient interval lor the wire to pass freely over said die and shear member with no appreciable opportunity tor the de pression of the wire strand t'rom its normal plane of leed when operated upon by the co-operable deforming dies and the cio-0perable cutter and shear member'. rFurthermore, the tubular feed member is'supported within theY pedestal head for the vertical face at the deliveryend of said tubular nember to occupy a spaced relation tothe proximate face oi:l the lower swaging die so that the wire strand extends through and beyond the tubular leed member, through a space between said delivery end of said tubular member and the deforming die ad jacent thereto. thence over the top tace ot said detorn'iing die, across the shear plate, and thence into the wire receiving member.

'l` he movable deiorm'ing die and the movable cutter are lixedly engaged with the head, which head is in turn medly secured in a short arm oi the rockable lever. Said die-and-cutter head is grooved to receive the deforming die and also grooved to re' ceive the cutter, the two said parts being separately att-ached to said head. The cutter and the movable die are parallel to each other, with a space oi appreciable width intervening said die and cutter, and the die-- and-cutter head is so positioned on the rockable lever that in service the movable deforming die andthe movable cutter cooperate with vthe stationary'deformingl die andthe stationary shear member, respectively. lhe wire is ed'intermediate the two dies and the two cutter members, and in service, the action of the rockable arm is so timed with reference to the feed of the wire that when the required length is advanced beyond the shear plate adjacent the tubular feed member'` as determined by the wire-length-gaging devices. said dies act 0n the wireto deform it near one end and the cutter shears past the shear plate concurrently with the deforming action so as to sever the previously fed length of wire from that part of the strand, one end of which has just been subjected to the deformmg action of the dies.

The w=ire at the deforming and cutting operation is fed continuously, hence the straightener head is mounted to have a limited sliding action, and the rockable lever is given a quick motion by a cam; but notwithstanding these conditions in service the feed movement of the wire at the deforming and cutting operation has a tendency to press the severed end of the wire into such frictional Contact with the face of the cutter that on the return of said cutter to a position away from the shear member said severed end ofthe wire has a tendency to follow the upward travel of the cutter; in other words, the frictional engagement of the severed end with the cutter face results in a certain adhesion of one surface to the other which has a tendency to interfere to some extent with the wire feed and to slow up the productive capacity of the machine. To overcome this condition, I provide a wire displacing member in the form of a spring backed plunger carried by the die-and-cutter head and positioned intermediate the movable deforming die and the movable cutter, said plunger normally occupying a position with respect to the operating face of the die and the shearing edge of the cutter that at the inst-ant said die and cutter begin their return movement toward a normal position the plunger' displaces the severed end of the wire from contact with the face of the cutter, whereby the wire cut end is forced downward below the shearing edge of the cutter and the feed of the wire takes place without stoppage and without bending the deformed. end portion of said wire.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings-wherein# Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section illustrating the rockable lever and the deforming die mechanism in elevation.

Figure 3 is a plan of a part of the machine showing the wire-feed rolls and the rotary die head for straightening the wire.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of parts in side elevation illustrating the pedestal head Leases@ with the integral offset bearing and the bracket for the stationary die and the shear member, and also showing the head for the movable die and the movable cutter, the rockable arm being in dotted lines.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional elevationV taken in the direction of the axis of the tubular wire feed member, illustrating'the deforming means and the cutting means in relation to said tubular'member and certain of the other parts of said Hoefer machine Figure 6 is a transverse section on the line 6 6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the bracket member, the stationary deforming die, and the stationary shear member dismounted from the machine.

Figure 8 is a cross section on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the dieand-cutter-head whereby the movable deforming die and the movable cutter are Vmounted in the rockable lever.

Figure 10 is a cross section on the line 1.0-10 of Figure 9. Y

Figure 11 illustrates the deforming and cutting operation on a wire strand and showing in plan view the deformed cut lengths of wire.

Figure 12 is a sectional view partly in elevation showing a loose member and a two-part clutch by which the loose member is made fast with a shaft at a predetermined interval of time, and

Figure 13 is a section on the line 13-123 of Figure 12 illustrating a trip controlled detent.

The operating mechanism isV carried by and within a hollow pedestal A provided with a number of bearings (not shown) for supporting a drive shaft B, a countershaft C, and vertically-positioned roll shafts (Z d which carry the feed rolls D D. The drive shaft B is equipped with fast pulleys 7) 7) and a loose pulley b', and from one fast pulleyy 71 rims a belt which drives a pulley e' which is fast wit-h a horizontally positioned rotary and sliding head F1. .ls is usual.. said head is equipped with dies (not shown) for acting upon the wire strand X in the usual manner, whereby the rotary motion of the head and the action of the dies operate to straighten the wire strand as it is drawn from a coil. This head E is journaled in and fitted loosely within bearings e2 of a yoke e3 which is rigid with the machine frame.l said sliding motion of the rotary head functioning as a compensating means for the back thrust on the wire as it contacts .for a brief interval of time with the face of the movable cutter as the latter severs the wire and recedes from the cut end of said wire during the continuous feed thereof by the actionof the rolls D Vl). The countershaft C and roll shafts CZ l are driven by the motion of the drive shaft. and on the countershaftis a balance wheel F and a plurality of clutch members f f. one of which is loose on the shaft and the ,other 'tast therewith, with provision such as clutch pin f2 for automatically connecting" the two clutch members f j when the desired length of wire shall` have been fed so that a tripping;- or gaging mcchani n will set in motion the means for ractu f the rockable lever (1l whereby the operations of defer-ming and cutting the wire are eifected automatically and intimed relation to the feed of said wire. T he loose clutch member f Controls a cam g with which contacts a track roll g mountedon the lowerrpart of lever G, the latter being vertically positioned alongside the pedestal A.V and beine' fulcrumed by spindle g2 on the pedestal head A. As shown in Figures l, 2, 4- and 5, the pedestal head is separate from the pedestal, the said head A being cast in a single piece of heavy construction to resist the strains. and beine` provided with van offset base fla-nge a. to the end that the head Y may be seated solidly upon the top end ot the pedestal and be clamped innnovably thereon by the binding screws o', whereby the head will not become loose on the pedestal under the ar and vibration of theworlo ingr parts. The rockable lever is reinforced and stiffened by the provision of ribs or webs 7i so that it is suiiiciently strong to withstand the effects of the deforinine dies and the cuttingv means without resultingr in fractures of said lever. As shown, the lever has a shortV upper arm Gr in elevated relation to the tubular teed member` H which is fiXedly mounted in the head A. s e Figure 5, and to this lever is connected a springr L2 acting to throw the lever to Aa normal position and to retain the track roll in contact with the cam 7, see Figure 2.

I is a wire receiver shown asa horizontal bar or rail supported in a' fixed position by the machine frame and bv a supporting; leg i. This rail is provided in its underside with a wire receivingr channel 2, see Figure :2. in the line of feed of the wire` so that the wire advanced by the feed rolls D l)- and straightened by the rotary head will lie within the channel of the rail at the time the determine dies and the cuttingy means act upon said wire. The channel is closed normally by a closure member l@ see Fig'- ures l and 2 in the form of a fiat horizontal plate fitting snugly against the undcrsurface ot the rail l, suitable means lieing; provided for the automaticv operation of 'the closure member l iii-timed relation to the det'orming' and cutting operations.

As shown, a horizontal rock shaft l2 is journaled in appropriate fixed supports 3, said shaft carrying` ar series of fingers j provided with notches in. which are received studs .7" which are fast with the closure member, and cri-operating;r with this roel; shaft is a springr lm. see dotted lines` in Figure l?, acting; to turn the shaft in a directionffor the lingers j to move the closure plate position acrossr the channel. 'lhe rorlishati "f is provided with a rocker Y the path of a stud lt provided on the rocha i'e level.' said stud. actinb on'the arm i3 to turn the rock shaft and shift the closure member after the deforml' dies andthe cutter act upon the wire th, whereby the cut and deformed wire lenths are permitted to drop by gravity out of the channeled rail I and to be received within the rack formed by the yoke-shaped members I", see Figure l and dotted lines in Figure 2.

lVithin the channel of the rail I Yis positioned a trip member l in the form of a rod or wire. one end port-ion of which is rinde fast with a trip slide J. To this trip or wire 'K extending/qY slide is attached a ron t adjacent to the channeled rail I, the other end of which is attached to a hell crank lever K. pivoted on the n'iachine frame and operatively connected to a dctent ,7a which slidesin a i ide 'ay le. and is provided with a cam fare H5 cooperable with a head f4 of a spring' actuated clutch pin f3 by which the loose and fast clutch inenihers are coupled at or about the time a section of wire of the desired lcnath'is fed by the rolls into the channeled rail l, whereby the Contact of the fed wire with the trip wire J imparts movement to the slide .-l and thus the wire or rod K and the lever l are actuated to throw the clutch members into service for the loose cam f/ to be made lrt with shaft and thereby the lever G is operated to deform. and cut the wire, whereupon the straightened and cut length of wire, deforniedat one end, is dropped into the rack. The pedestal head A is provided with an opening; for the Vreception of the tubular feed member E, one end of said opening extendingv through the vertical Aface of saidV head, and this tubular member Il is posi- 'tioncd partly within said. opening and fixcdly secured by appropriate means to said head. As shown in Figure. one end of the tubular member H protrudcs for a suitable distance outside the headvrliereas the other end of said member terminates 'within the opening' Z.` said end beinean appreciable distance from the vert-ical face of the head. its usual. the protrudingr end of the .tubular member is tapering` toward the feed rolls ffl/aid pedestal head is provided with a caring,- L for supnortine the bracket mem- A)er lll solidly and nmnovably in the required lli) ina beine: preterably cast with the head and being: olilset from the vertical. face thereof so as to present a shoulder Z below the open ing Z -for the tubular ,tced member ll, see Figures l., 2 and 5.

The bracket member shown in Figures l, 2 and 5 and 'in detail in Figiu'es 7 and 8, is formed Vin a single piece with lugs lmdepeudingr 'from the body portion ot said bracket member. Said bracket member is assembled tor contact with the vertical 'tace ofV the head A below the openiirgT Z, said member resting. or beine' seated, upon the shoulder Z ot the bearing- L and the lugs 'm contacting` with the vertical lace of the bearinn'. whereby the bracket member is secured iu fixed position by screws m passing throue'h apertures in the lugs m and engaging holes tapped in the bearing. The bracket member is recessed in its respective faces, one ot said recesses accommodating the determine" die 0 and the other recess receiving the shear member Q. Said die is seated firmly on the bracket member and secured tixedly thereto by screws 0. The shear member Q is seated solidly in that recess which is provided iu the vtace of the bracket member remote to the opening;` Z in head A. and the shear member is secured fixedly in position by screws g. The deforming,r die if) and shear member Q are composed ot pieces ot hardended metal, such as steel, and they are mounted in immovable relation to each other upon the bracket member, M, with a solid wall m? of said bracket member, intermediate said die and shear member, sce Figures 2, 5, l and 8. The die t) is positioned on the bracket member tor the top tace et' the die to project slightly above the corresponding lace ot' the intervening wall 711?, whereas the top tace of the shear member is flush with said top 'face ot the wall m2, so that the exposed top face ot the shear member is in a plane slightly below the active tace ot the die. As shown in Figure the active top 'tace of the lower stationary die O is as close as it is possible to place it to the path ot the wire X, but said die extends across the hole Z in the head in a manner to partly close said hole where it opens throucjh the vertical face ot' the head A. the die O being separated Ytrom the adjacent end of the tubular member by a space ot appreciable width, see Figure 5. The bracket lll. delorminn` die O and shear member Q are assembled and positioned relativeliY to the beariiurY L, pedestal head ik and tubular member ll tor said die to intervene the shear member Q, and the tubular member Pl, so that there is a very substantial interval separating the shear member Q from the tubular member H, see Figure R is the die-and-cutter head for the movable detorming die P and the cutter S, see

Figures 1, 5, 9 and 10, said head being attached to the short arm of rockable lever G. rlhe head R is provided. with a shank r which lit-ted in a recess 1" ot the short arm tl ot lever G and is held liXedly therein by a set screw r2, one or more. The de- Ytorn'iinn die P composed ot a latplate ot hardened metal, and is seated in a recess provided vin one side ot the head R, in which recess said die is securely retained by appropriate means, such as the screws y?. The cutter 5l is likewise composed of a piece of hardened metal with lower beveled face s to produce a shearingr edge, see Figure 10, and said cutter occupiesI a recess in the opposite :tace ot' the head R Afrom that recess which accommodates the die P, the cutter beiirgr ixedly attached to the head as by screws s. The die P and cutter S are positioned on the opposite faces of the head R with a wall r et said head intervening the die and the cutter, and these parts are so related that the under face ot the die P is in a plane below the corresponding tace of the wall 'r3 ot the head B, and, furthermore, the cutting' edge s ot the cutter S extends below the under faces ot the head R and die P, see Figure 10.

T is a` plunger carried by the head R and positioned adjacent the cutter S and close to' he cuttingedge thereof. This plunger plays loosely in a slott provided in the wall r3 oit the head R, and it is normally 'forced in one direction by a spring 'l" encased within the slot t, see Figure lt). The oi'itward movement of thel plunger under the pressure ot the sprinfg is arrested by suit-able stop devices, indicated in Figure l0 as a short lug t. The

plunger T is intern'iediate the critter and the die, and the lower active face ot said plunger is oelow corresponding 'tace ot the die, the plunger being impelled by the spring to slide into contact with the tace ot the cutter S against which the cut end of the wire, advanced by the toed rolls, is adapted to contact so that the plunger displaces said cut end ol the wire trom such contact with the cutter subsequent to the cutting operation and upon the receding` movement of the head R, die P and cutter S relatively to the wire and the other die (l and shear member Q. The rockable lever swings in an arcuate path relatively to the vertical tace of the pedestal head H tor the die P and cutter S to move toward and trom the die t) and shear member respectively, but as the wire to be treated is small in diameter, the stroke ot the. lever is a comparatively short one. The die P and cutter S are so mounted by the head R on the short lever arm that the die P coacts with the die t) and the edge s et cutter tl shears past the tace of the shear member Q, see Figure 5, the deformation being produced on the wire at a point between the cutting` mechanism and the openllt) The operation will be apparent from the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, but may be summarizedas follows lfith the loose cam g idle owing to the free or unconnected condition of the clutch and with the die P and cutter S away from the die O and shear plate owing to the action of springli? on lever G, the wire is straightened by the rotary motion of head L and is advanced through tubular member H by the feed rolls D I). The wire is moved into the channel of the rail I until the advancing end of the wire contacts with the trip wire J, the length and position of which determine or gage the wire section to be deformed and cut. The movement of the wire to be cut displaces the trip wire and slide, pulls on connection K and lever K to lift the detent la and actuate the clutch members in a manner to make the cam g fast with the shaft C at the desired period in the cycle of operations, whereupon'the cam imparts rocking motion to the lever G and thereupon the die P and cutter S are moved into co-operative relation to the die O and shear member VQ, respectively. The dies O P deform the wire X byswaging it at fr, and the cutter severs the wire at (Figure ll) adjacent the deformation so as to leave a short length m2 intermediate the cut end and the deformation. The Wire is deformed by dies O P acting on the wire intermediate the coacting cutter and shear member and the vertical face of headA and adjacentv end of tubular member H. c

Following the swaging and cutting action on the wire, lever G is acted on by the spring to move the die P and cutter S away from die O and shear member Q, A respectively, but prior to this receding movement, the closure plate I is operated to o Jen the channel z' for dropping the wire an the trip devices actuate the clutch for making free the cam, as usual. During the cutting and swaging operation, the feed rolls continue thelr action on the wire so that the latter exerts a back thrust which slides the rotary head L a limited distance in its bearings, and owing vto the continued feed of the wire the cut end is pressed frictionally against the face lor edge of the cutter S, but at the'beginning of the receding movement of cutter S and die P away from shear member Q and die O, the plunger T is pressed against the wire by spring` T so as to displace said wire from such frictional contact with the cutter and preclude said cut end from following the cutter in the receding travel' thereof, it being A apparent that the plungerT is pressed into the slot t when the dies O P act to deform the Wire and cutter' S coacts with -member Q to shear the wire, the spring T being compressed by such movement of plunger T and the recoil of said spring tending to force lthe plunger forcibly against the wire upon the opening motion of the dies.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

I. In a machine of the class described,A

e a frame member provided with an'offstandlcarried by said bracket member in a plane below the path of feed of a wire, a moving part, a deformmg die and a cutter carried b' f the movin@ art in co-o )erable relation Arespectively to the first named deforming die and the shear member'. and a spring actuated plunger supported by the moving part and positioned intermediate the die and the cutter of said moving' part for displacing' the severed end of thewire relatively to said cutter.

2. In a machine of the class described, a frame member provided with a lug vin offstanding relation to a face of said frame member, a bracket member seated upon said lug and occupying a fixed relation to the frame member, a tubular member for the passage of a wire, a deforming die carried by the bracket member, a shear member also carried by the bracket member, said shear member being spaced with respect to the deforming die, a moving part, a deforming die movable with said moving part and co-operable with the first named deforming die, a cutter carried by the moving part for co-operation with the shear member, and a spring actuated plunger positioned intermediate the second die and the second cutter for displacingA the wire severed by the action of the cutter and the shear member.

3. In a machine of the class described, a tubular member for the passage of a wire, a moving part, a bracketmemb'er in fixed relation to the tubular member, a deforming die and a shear member iiXedly supported by said bracket member` said deforming die and the .shear member being separated one from theother by an intervening part of said 'bracket member, a second deforming die carried by the moving part', a cutter carried by the moving part, said second die, and the cutter being in co-operable relation to the first named die and the shear member respectively, and aspring actuated stripper positioned between the second die and the second cutter for displacing the cut end of the wire relatively to the moving part.

4. Ina machine of the class described, a frame member provided with an .offset bearing on the vertical face thereof, a tubular member, a moving part` a bracket member supported' by the' oilset bearing in fixedv ing die and shear member on said bracket member, a second deforming die movable with the moving part into co-operative relation to the rst named deforming die, a cutter movable with the moving part 4into shearing relation to the shear member, and a spring pressed plunger movably positioned intermediate the second die and the cutter.

5. In a machine oft the class described, Wire feeding means including Va tubular member, coacting deforining dies, coacting shear members including a movable shear member, and a wire displacing plunger niovable With said movable shear member to preclude the cut end oi' a Wire from following the movable shear member as the latter recedes from the companion shear member.

6. In a machine of the class described, Wire feeding means including a tubular member, coacting deiormiiig dies movable relatively one to the other, coacting shear members one being movable with respect to the other, and a wire-displacing plunger cooperable Witli one of the shear members 'for dislodging the cut end of a Wire advanced by the feed means from rictional contact with the movable shear member.

7. In a machine of the class described,

VWire feeding means including a tubular member` coacting deforming dies movable relatively one to the other, coacting shear members one being movable with respect to the other, and a spring-actuated displacing plunger movable with the movable shear member and positioned for contact with a Wireupon the separating movement of the movable shear and the. movable die with respect to 4the fixed shear member and the fixed die, said spring actuated plunger being yieldahle to the movement ot the parts in the deforming and cutting operations and acting automatically to dislodge the cut end ol a Wire from trictional contact with the movable shear member.

8. In a machine of the class described, Wire feeding means including a tubular member, a support, a stationary deforming` die and a stationary shear member carried by said support, amovingpart` a liead fixed to said moving` part, a movable de'lorniiiig die and a cutter carried by said head, and a ivire displacing member carried by said head and acting on the separating movement oi'i' the parts to dislodge the cnt end ot a ivire from frictional Contact with the movable cutter. n

9. In a machine of the class described,

Wire feeding means including' a tubular member, a support, a stationary deforming die and a stationary shear member, carried by said support, a moving part, a head fixed to said moving part, a movable de'liorniing Vdie and a cutter carried by the head,

and a Wire displacing plunger carried by said head intermediate the movable det'orining' die and the cutter, said Wire displacing plunger being yieldably positioned relative-l ly to the cutter and acting on the separating movementot the parts to dislodge the cut end of a wire from rictional contact With said movable cutter.

In testimony whereof I have hereto signed my naine this 18th day ot November, 1923.

WILLIAMv F. FRECH. 

